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This Friday, July 15, Galerie F is celebrating our fourth anniversary with a show titled “Street Level,” which brings together over 30 artists who we have proudly worked with over the past four years. The show features mostly original works commissioned specifically for the show and a few rarely-seen works by select artists. We are so grateful to be able to work with such well-known Chicago icons and to introduce new artists from outside the city and abroad. “Street Level” is a big THANK YOU to everyone who is involved with Galerie F and has helped to foster a space for the promotion, collaboration, and encouragement of poster and street artists in Chicago.

Work in Progress Shot of Glass Cuisine’s Contribution to the Show @glasscuisine

Four years ago, owners Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff and Billy Craven set out to open Galerie F as the very first “open door” gallery space in Chicago. The aim was to create a space that was open six days a week, where walk-ins were welcome, and that was available to any art lover’s wallet size. The pair decided to open Galerie F in Logan Square in hopes of cementing accessible art such as printmaking and street art into the local, contemporary art scene while promoting both local and international artists.

JC Rivera working on his contribution to “Street Level” @jcrivera

Galerie F has since become a leading, if not the most successful, hub in Chicago for local artists involved in the poster art, screen printing, and street art scene. JC Rivera, an artist who has worked with Galerie F from the very beginning and is well known in Chicago for his depiction of The Bear Champ, explains why he keeps coming back to the gallery: “It’s because they understand me, they have good communication with me, and they are nice people. Galerie F promotes their artists well. It’s not just like they take your painting and put it on the wall and that’s it. They work with artists to develop their style and everything. There’s a community feeling here with Billy and Zissou.”

Work in Progress Shot of Rocketboy’s Contribution to the show @rocketboy

Sick Fisher will be showing work with Galerie F for the second time in “Street Level.” Fisher first started working with Galerie F through our sponsor New Belgium. When asked what he finds appealing about working with Galerie F, he also attested to the large community of artists: “All the artists that I’ve met have been affiliated with the gallery, the community is what I enjoy the most.” He adds that the gallery’s focus on accessible art allows him to experiment with new ways of making: “I don’t know much about prints, so that’s a big new step for me. Going from one of a kind paintings to being able to mass-produce them. That’s really exciting to me.”

Local street artist Mosher has worked with Galerie F for about three years now and his work will also be featured in “Street Level.” His style is heavily influenced by media and pop culture iconography. When asked what drives his art making he answered, “I like things that are immediately recognizable and hopefully resonate with people on some kind of personal level.” He points out that, over the past four years, Galerie F has brought, “a lot of good art to the walls of Logan [Square]” and “they’re really supportive of the art community we have here in Chicago.”

Work in progress shot of Mosher’s contribution to the show @moshershow

The staff at Galerie F is committed to introducing new and emerging artists to the scene and our anniversary show is no different. We invited Danny Sobor, an artist born and raised in Chicago and currently working in Detroit, to show work in “Street Level,” which will be his third official show at Galerie F. Sobor, who is new to the gallery scene welcomes the opportunity that galleries can provide for street artists: “I really appreciate that they give younger guys like me the opportunity to show and cut my teeth next to heavy hitters like JC and Nate. I grew up looking at their work, it’s crazy to share a room with them.” Living in Chicago has a deep influence on Sobor’s work; he says, “I was born and raised in Chicago, it’s inspired me since day one. My first exposure to art was as a kid riding the blue line; I would watch tags and murals go by and keep tabs on what was new, what got buffed, what was fading. I would alternate the side of the train I sat on so I could take everything in. I thought it was magic that people could make things on roofs and walls; I wanted to do that too.”

Work in Progress Shot from Danny Sobor’s Contribution to the Show @dannysobor

Galerie F spends its days tirelessly promoting local street favorites and genuinely nurturing new artists on the scene. We are bent on outdoing ourselves every year by continuing to evolve with our shared community. Come by this Friday, July 15th from 6-10pm, for a tremendous show, with a truly stellar line-up, where we say thanks to all of our favorite artists and to all of you for helping us make it to this important milestone.